Video of the Month

Congratulations to Lenorris Arnold, the latest Editors’ Choice winner for the Dance Teacher Video of the Month!

Arnold has a secret for finding on-trend, danceable music that is one of a kind: He purchases remixes of current songs from the audio-sharing platform SoundCloud. One artist he follows, Travis Lake, created a version of “Angels” (by popular indie group The xx), sprinkling the spacious track with drum hits and beats that come and go. The result isn’t a thumping electronic dance song; there’s just enough added rhythm to create a framework for choreography in a piece that otherwise might not lend itself to dance. “There’s a lot of musicality, a lot of beats in the background,” Arnold says. “The original song doesn’t have any of that.”

In the video, one of his top students at Progressions Performing Arts in Houston demonstrates a hard-hitting contemporary combination to “Angels.” The crashing drums and synthesizer blips mark explosive moments in the choreography—staccato isolations and suspended freezes that look like the dancer had the breath knocked out of her. Dreamy vocals match fluid transitions and sky-high extensions. Arnold’s music and movement choices strike a perfect balance.

Want to build buzz about your studio, workshop or class? Posting videos to the Dance Teacher Video of the Month Contest is quick, easy and free—and it’s a great way to get noticed. If your video is selected as Editors’ Choice, you’ll be featured in the magazine and online! The Viewers’ Choice winner will be announced in DT’s newsletter. Don’t miss out on a great opportunity—visit dancemedia.com, share your videos and vote for your favorites. Any and all kinds of dance are welcome.